Welcome to the first valhallagames "wandering monsters" episode. Wikipedia defines Wandering monsters as follows (don't worry I put them right on a couple of points by way of a re-edit):

Wandering monsters - sometimes called Random encounters - were a feature of Dungeons & Dragons from its beginnings in the 1970s, and persist in that game and its offshoots to this day. Random encounters are usually determined by the gamemaster by rolling dice against a random encounter table. These rules can often result in VERY random seemingly in appropriate and quite humorous encounters. A wandering monster is perhaps something that you don't want, definitely something that you didn't expect, but ALWAYS interesting. Source: Wikipedia... with edits :-)

We hope you enjoy this Dungeons & Dragons digression from our normal miniature wargaming adventures, (typically in WWII). We will be back to our scheduled program as soon as we have spooned over these Kobolds.

(Kobold; Small humanoid (kobold), Lawful Evil. Armor Class 12, Hit Points 5 (2d6-2), Speed 30 ft.)

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 Join Rex and Dan in this episode of the Valhallagames podcast where we talk miniature photography (a LOT of miniature photography!). Note the show times below if you want to skip over parts that aren't relevant to you or your camera type.

In our usual segments we also talk hobby, plastic and metal lust and what we are reading and looking forward to playing.

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EP 13 "freeze-frame"
00:00:00 Intro
00:01:57 Break
00:03:40 Hobby catch up
(including Rex's rail yard project, Dan's battle for Berlin force and British Airborne paint & learn)
00:18:18 Break
00:19:40 Main topic "freeze-frame" - Part 0
Miniature photography introduction and background
00:21:33 Why do we take photos
Making sure you satisfy your end purpose
00:27:17 Photo composition, setting the scene
What makes a great photo, arrangement, just the miniature or in its environment. Improving the miniature environmental scene, lighting, backgrounds
00:58:21 Photo tech for ALL camera types, basic camera, DSLR & mirrorless)
"Exposing" your photos correctly (dark/light), "depth of field" how much is in focus
1:12:30 Big boys/girls cameras
Utilizing cameras where all the aspects of the shot are customizable (DSLR\Mirrorless)
1:30:16 Bonus content: Editing/developing, shooting [in the] RAW
1:35:52 Bonus content: Photography backups
1:38:02 Photography sum up
1:39:38 Break
1:41:04 "What are you reading" segment
Rex: https://amzn.to/2QDtPaz Dan: https://amzn.to/2QSeGlT & https://amzn.to/31IhYhB
1:54:10 Things that we are lusting after and things that we have bought lately
https://store.warlordgames.com/products/stalingrad-battle-set
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaHpBBEumFA& (https://www.otpterrain.com/)
https://store.warlordgames.com/collections/new-releases/products/bolt-action-battlefield-debris
https://store.warlordgames.com/products/carro-armato-semovente

Stay classy!

​Following are some example of our images, enjoy! :-)

Come on a gaming (and driving) adventure with Dan and Rex as we talk about and prepare for Dan's week long gaming visit to Australia.

Listen in on a behind the scenes casual chat as we make the trip from the airport to home, our plans and aspirations for the perfect week of gaming, podcasting and YouTube…ing.
Learn why if you're not playing campaigns you're doing it wrong and our challenge for you. Hear all our hobby news and discussions about Stalingrad.

Full disclosure: No viruses were caught or transmitted as a result of this podcast.

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I'm about to buy the new Kings of War - Vanguard rule set. It's on special half price about $20 for the next few days however before I bought it for use by my sons gaming group I thought I would have a quick look through and just make sure that it's a sort of game that I would like to play. As I began to read through the individual units with their classes, statistics and abilities, moves, attacks and "armour class" it began to remind me of the 1980s in the 1980s there was this little product called Dungeons and Dragons

I was given my first copy of Dungeons and Dragons by my mother who has I have mentioned in a previous podcast thought that it might suit me because Dungeons and Dragons was apparently appropriate for "boys that walk to the beat of a different Drum". Yes I'm still not sure what that really means however from the moment that I open the red box and looked at the bazaar dice and began to try to work out how to actually play this game I was hooked.

So that was 5 years or so of my life that went by in a heartbeat. Along with ending school, getting my first job, going on many real adventures and expeditions, I also spend many, many nights staying up late with friends going on grand imaginary adventures gaming magical items and learning to work together and sometimes even how to work with the monsters rather than "just spooning them over" as I was reminder of the other day.

As I thought back to Dungeons and Dragons and the great times we had and the near impossible puzzles that we solved I began to compare this to the new version of Kings of War Vanguard I begin to wonder why it was that I was buying another game to really do just a cut down version of the existing game that I have, that I have purchased (and repurchased(and repurchased)) but I don't actually have any time to play. I began to ponder on ways The Dungeons & Dragons could be cut down somewhat from the all-encompassing monumental game that it can be to something more manageable that would be akin to the Kings of War type product and it occurred to me that this would be very easy just make it RPG light or RPG 'none at all'. (continued...)

Now I'm a computer guy and in my job I use lots of different software packages I often see cheap products that will do photo editing or video editing or do any manner of other things that I need to do on a daily basis however where possible and where budgets allow I always buy the full on professional product even though I only will be using a small part of that product to achieve the results that I need to achieve. This has held me in good Stead for many years as it has allowed me an entry into a new product or technology that I wouldn't otherwise have had experience with more often than not I will get the opportunity later to reuse and build on. Buying a full commercial product gives me something that has "legs" meaning that it will certainly suffice for my basic needs but as my needs grow and my expertise grows I don't find that I run out of whatever it is that makes that product good and have to go and repurchase and relearn another product from scratch. When I apply this though mentally to gaming I think I would rather play D&D at a reduced level than another product and be found left wanting if I decide to push on into greater depth of gaming.

This brings me to another consideration and that is the sticky question of motivation. What motivates someone to do something commercially vs. what's "best".